A deadly school shooting at a high school in the southern Philippines left two students dead, eight others injured and the teenage gunman dead, authorities said.
The shooting erupted around 1:15 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, at Banga National High School in Banga, a town in South Cotabato province on the island of Mindanao. Authorities said the attacker opened fire on students inside a classroom before turning the weapon on himself.
Police and local officials identified the suspected gunman as a 16-year-old Grade 9 student. Initial reports had listed him as 14, but later accounts from Reuters and the Associated Press said he was 16. The two students killed were both 14 years old.
Eight other students were wounded, including four who were reported in critical condition. The victims ranged in age from 14 to 17.
Authorities said the teen used a 9mm pistol belonging to his father, who works for the Philippine Department of Education.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the father owned three licensed firearms that were kept in a vault, but investigators believe the teenager was able to gain access to the weapon. Philippine authorities are now examining whether the firearms were stored securely enough and how the teen managed to retrieve one.
Investigators are also reviewing the teenager’s cellphone and online activity as they try to determine what led to the attack.
Officials said they found evidence that the student had been active in online communities centered on violent crime and had reportedly posted material expressing admiration for previous school shooters. Authorities have also said notes on his phone referenced depression, though investigators have not established a single motive for the attack.
The teen may also have warned friends shortly before the shooting.
Banga Mayor Albert Palencia told Reuters that the student sat with friends and told them to go home because he planned to do something after lunch. His friends reportedly laughed because they believed he was joking.
After lunch, the teenager allegedly went into a nearby classroom and began shooting.
Investigators later found messages suggesting the attack may have been planned weeks earlier. Local officials said a group chat on the student’s phone contained discussions about an attack dating back to August.
Police secured the campus while forensic teams processed the scene.
The Department of Education said its immediate priority was protecting students, teachers and school staff while coordinating with police and local authorities.
The agency also said it was prepared to provide psychological first aid and mental-health support to those affected, and urged people not to circulate graphic videos from the scene because of the additional trauma they could cause victims and their families.
The shooting has also intensified concerns about school safety in the Philippines.
It was the third deadly school shooting reported in the country since June, an unusually concentrated series of attacks in a nation where school shootings have historically been rare.
In June, students opened fire at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, killing three students and wounding about 20 others. Another fatal shooting occurred in August at Ateneo de Zamboanga University.
In the aftermath of the Banga attack, Philippine officials began calling for stronger firearm-storage rules and additional school-safety measures.
Education officials have also discussed forming an inter-agency task force to address campus violence and improve coordination among schools, law enforcement and mental-health agencies.
